Ingredients

Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…

140g golden caster sugar

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaf

pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

75cl bottle red wine

350ml sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

200ml port

Method

Halve and thinly slice the onions, then thinly slice the garlic. Melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a high heat. Tip in the onions and garlic and give them a good stir so they are glossed with butter. Sprinkle over the sugar, thyme leaves, chilli flakes if using and some salt and pepper. Give everything another really good stir and reduce the heat slightly. Cook uncovered for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions are ready when all their juices have evaporated, they’re really soft and sticky and smell of sugar caramelising. They should be so soft that they break when pressed against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. Slow cooking is the secret of really soft and sticky onions, so don't rush this part.

Pour in the wine, vinegar and port and simmer everything, still uncovered, over a high heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring every so often until the onions are a deep mahogany colour and the liquid has reduced by about two-thirds. It’s done when drawing a spoon across the bottom of the pan clears a path that fills rapidly with syrupy juice. Leave the onions to cool in the pan, then scoop into sterilised jars and seal. Can be eaten straight away, but keeps in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Ads by Google

Comments, questions and tips

Made this two or three times. It keeps forever in the fridge - probably because of the wine, vinegar etc. Really good even though it is a bit time consuming but you can go off and do other things while the onions soften as I have never known them to burn. Great recipe. My friends here in Portugal love it, as they do Piccalilli (recipe from Womens Institute book - no brining) works really well. Have even sold it to restaurants!!!

calligan

21st Dec, 2015

I made this last night, without reading the comments. This morning, I've found the jars have solidified butter in them. Is there anything I can do to salvage it - they were going to be used for Xmas presents :-(

batalhasue

1st Jul, 2016

Don't worry - if you use it with bread it all spreads in together!!!

SoDeM7

21st Dec, 2015

I made this at the weekend and the key is to reduce all the oil and butter away in the first stage no matter how long it takes. You should be left with just a sticky pile of onions. I also did my onions in two batches (not sure if that makes a difference or not)
Don't eat any for the first day because it tastes and smells very acidic. After that, the wine and port really come through. Excellent recipe
Ps I also added 4-5 cap fulls of grenadine in the second stage.

Sangiovese

20th Sep, 2015

5.05

Made this today (using fresh crop of red onions from my allotment) and read all the comments but still used full ingredients (including butter).
Took longer for first reduction but second one not much longer (used sherry vinegar instead of red wine vinegar) and has turned out great with no "fat issues" at all though maybe slightly sweeter than I would choose, so something to tweak next time.
Only downside is that the volume is not very large.

Haywam59

3rd Jul, 2015

This is fabulous!! I've made another of chutney over the years. For the adventurous swap out some if the liquids for other vinegars. Balsamic with a teaspoon of tomato puree works well. And yes it does take a lot longer get to reduce but we'll worth it.

Iris19

22nd Dec, 2014

This recipe is fantastic (though a little sweeter than I thought it would be). The previous posters' tips were very helpful. The second stage did take much longer (maybe 2 x longer and probably should have cooked it down about 15 min more) than stated maybe because I have an electric range instead of gas. I made this condiment to go with a beautiful roast I was cooking and to compliment a horseradish sauce I had made. The two condiments were a wonderful contrast to each other. I might cut back on the sugar a few grams and use balsamic vinegar instead. Thank-you very much for sharing this wonderful recipe. My office mates are looking forward to sampling this treat!

bobbieray

19th Dec, 2014

5.05

After reading some comments I was a little dubious about trying this recipe - however I shouldn't have been! I went ahead and on the advice of other users I halved the amount of butter. It is true that it takes a lot longer than the recipe says to reduce; you need to set aside a good 3 hours or so to make this recipe. I had to cook for at least double the time to get the marmalade to the right consistency. But... this is delicious!!! I have bottled some up to give away as presents and I have had no problem with the butter as other people have said. It is a really tasty marmalade that goes well with anything - My father in law also claims it to be his favourite!! We worth it!

eppie123

24th Oct, 2014

Use a wider/shallow pan rather than a taller/wok shaped one (I burned my first attempt horribly and has to toss it because my wok wasn't big enough to distrubute the heat evenly). I used half of the butter, added two bay leaves, and used a port I actually drink (helps you relax as you wait and gives it a better flavor). Although I don't think my using yellow onions affected anything, this only really made 2 x 8 oz jars, not 4 as the recipe states. My end result was a purple/red (again probably because I didn't use red onions). Total cooking time was about 55 minutes for the first part and 40 for the second. Tried it on the chicken liver pate I made the other night and it is amazing! Can't wait to try it on burgers and toast and eggs...and whatever else I can put it on!

Charlie24.93

19th Aug, 2014

So scrummy, added a few good pinches of ground spice and clove. Yes it did take a long time to cook down but it was so worth it, one big preserving jar full did not last long!

Pages

Also does anyone know where to get the square top kilner type jar in the photo?

SoDeM7

20th Dec, 2015

Made this yesterday for the first; following the recipe to a T. The key to avoiding fat issues is to reduce the oil/butter away, even if it takes longer than stated. You should be left with sticky onions before the second phase. I also cooked my onions in two batches and combined them just befor adding all the liquid. The end result tastes amazing. At first it smells and tastes too acidic, but leave it over night and the flavour is transformed and all the lovely booze comes through.
The only thing I did different was to add a tablespoon of grenadine.
I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone.

Granny jules

4th Jul, 2013

I love this and as my partner and I are soon to open our own catering business, I gave this recipe a whirl.
Everybody's tastes vary of course and I found that using a combination of golden castor sugar with original Demerara sugar plus a little more than this recipe has, gave the overall taste a much fuller sweetness.
To make sure I got the mix right, I gave a jar to my local pub to sit alongside a Ploughman's Lunch or pate dish. The feedback was amazing!
Best served slightly warmed in a separate ramekin dish so that any butter residue melts adding additional aroma and feel good feeling! Delish.

Reader offer: £10 off + 2 free craft beers

Skills & know how

As well as helping you decide what to cook we can also help you to cook it. From tips on cookery techniques to facts and information about health and nutrition, we’ve a wealth of foodie know how for you to explore.

About BBC Good Food

We’re all about good recipes, and about quality home cooking that everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re looking for some healthy inspiration or learning how to cook a decadent dessert, we’ve trustworthy guidance for all your foodie needs.

Our recipes

All our recipes are tested thoroughly by us to make sure they’re suitable for your kitchen at home. We know many of you are concerned about healthy eating, so we send them to a qualified nutritionist for thorough analysis too.

This website is made by BBC Worldwide.

BBC Worldwide is a commercial company that is owned by the BBC (and just the BBC). No money from the licence fee was used to create this page. The profits we make from it go back to BBC programme-makers to help fund great new BBC programmes.